Septum or base for honeycombs.



E. L. SECHRIST.

"SEPTUM 0R BASE FOR HONEYCOMBS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24 IQI B.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

BA KEL/TE SEPTUM OB 'IBASE FOB HONEYCOMBS.

Specification of Lettera Patent.

Patented @ct. 2%, table.

Application filed May 2a, 1912. Serial No. asaaoa.

.' nan1carnn T0 was mmmc.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. Snomusr, a citizen of the United States of America, and an employee of the Department of Agriculture, whose post-office address is Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., have invented a new and useful Septum or Base for Honeycombs.

This application made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat. 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States, or any of its officers or employees, in the prosecution of work for the Government, or any person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide 1 a septum or base for honeycombs that combines the qualities of stiffness and permanence.

The figure of the accompanying drawing shows a comb foundation, in broken lines, of bakelite mounted in a frame of the same material.

In modern apiculture where large mov able frames and a centrifugal honey extractor are usedit has been found that the septum or base of the honeycomb, when made from beeswax alone, is, as a general rule, unsatisfactory. This is .due to the fact that beeswax has a low melting point and atendency to stretch and sag when made into thin sheets. Thin wires embedded in the beeswax have been used to strengthen this comb foundation or base. Sheets of cloth or a thin metal have also been incorporated in the wax sheet to strengthen it, but these materials have not proven satisfactory. In the practice of my invention I make a sheet embossed with hexagonal cells, in the form of the usual commercial comb foundation, by molding a quantity of bakelite. This embossed sheet can be coated with beeswax and will be readily accepted by the bees and will be built out by them into a honeycomb which will have the desirable qualities of stiffness and permanence.

In case of injury to the. honeycomb so constructed, or of. its infection with brood disease, all of the beeswax coating may be melted otfthe permanent base leaving it clean and disinfected and ready for further use by the bees.

A brood frame in which bakelite foundation is to be used, whether this frame be constructed of wood, metal or bakelite, should be provided with grooves or cleats by means of which the bakelite foundation may be permanently fastened into the frame so that the whole may be sterilized by boiling water, steam, or dry heat, or the brood frame, if made of bakelite, maybe constructed in one piece, continuous with the foundation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A new article of manufacture consisting of a honeycomb frame and a foundation comb of bakelite mounted therein.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting of an integral comb frame and foundation of bakelite.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two subscrlbing witnesses.

EDWARD L. SECHRIST. Witnesses:

Geo. S. DEMUTH, MARIAN A. CARTER.

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